Filing apparatus



Feb. 11, 1930. L. c. RIDGE FILING APPARATUS Filed July 24; 1926 fz'zvezz tor, C

fifty.

Patented Feb. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE LEONARD CLAYTON RIDGE, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA FILING APPARATUS Application filed .Tu1y2 4, 192 Serial No. 124,626.

The invention is adapted particularly for usein connection withthat type of filing apparatus described in United States Patent No. 1,186,470of which applicant is the owner, in which mechanism is provided for moving 10 any desired filing element, or number of elements, into a distinctive position in relation to the remaining elementsand in which, heretofore, it has been customary to inscribe the data to be preserved on cards, of dimensions 16 standard to the filing cabinet, and to attach to eachcard bearing-members corresponding in number to, and aligned with, theindex characters under which it is desired to index the card, said bearing-members being adapted 20 for engagement by said mechanism for movement thereby.

While this arrangement has been of the utmost advantage in certain'types of filing it has been found that in cases where it is neces- 2 sary to change the index classification frequently, much time is lost in adjusting the bearing members on the cards, also it is not always convenient to copy lengthy, or tem poraneous, data on to cards standard to the ling cabinet, which must'of necessity conform to the filing cabinet and be reinforced, or

at least be of sufiicient rigidity to permit of proper cooperation with the selector mechanism,thus making it impossible to insert said card in a typewriter.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a convenient means whereby cards, slips of paper, orother matterof irregular conformation or size containing data 40 may be filed for ready reference under one ormore classifications without the necessity of having to attach bearing members, or other means adapted to cooperate with the selector mechanism, to said matter, thus expediting the indexing and re-indexing of such matter and expediting reference thereto.

Another object is the provision of meansfor filing material of sufficient flexibility to permit of data being inscribed thereon by means of a typewriter, or other machine.

- form of card support.

ers st 15 to y from.

A further object is to provide a container for matter tobe filed, the use of which is not limited to one occasion but which may be employed over and over again in the filing of diiferent matter.

And generally the objects of the invention are to provide a containerfor the matter to be filed, which will be compact in form, cheap to manufacture, and of durable construction.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction, arrangementsand combinations described hereinafter and more particularly pointed out in the claims for novelty following.

In the drawings Figure lis a front tion ofa card support.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

M Figure 3 is a front elevation of a modified eleva- Figure 4 is an end view of the device shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a front' elevation of another form of container.

Figure 6 is an end view of the device shown in Figure 5.

1 Figure 7 is a front elevation of a slightly modified form of construction. Figure 8 is an end view of the suppor shown inFigure 7 a Figure 9 is a front elevation of a support for filed matter having the bearing member extending in a lateral direction therefrom.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawings, the card or other matter to be filed is placed within a contamer or supporting element 1, which is of a size to. properly fit the filing cabinet, and bearing members 2 corresponding in number to the classifications under which it is desired to index the card are secured thertoin alignment with the index characters on the filing cabinet indicative of said classifications for selective engagementby the mechanismby means of which said container,or any number of similarly indexed containers are moved out of alignment with the remaining containbe readily distinguishable there- While the containers may-be of any form which will suitably accommodate the matter to be filed and admit of the attachment thereto of the bearing members 2 it-is desirable that they be of the least possible thickness in order to increase to the maximum the number of said containers which may be placed within a filing cabinet and alsoto facilitate the attaching of the bearing members there to but at the same time they must be sufficiently rigid to bear. the weight of. the contents and also to cooperate with the mechanism by means of which they are -moved from one position to another.

The support, or container, shown inFigure 1. is made up fromlight-weight material and in order to. give the required rigidity the ends are turned inwardly, as at.3,, andsealed to the flap 4, theinturned portions. being cut away at their inner ends, as at 5, so that that portionofthe. oontainerprovided for the accommodation of the bearing members 2 will be of uniform. thickness throughout.

The container is. preferably stitched, as indicated bythe numeral 6, above that portionwhich is reserved tor the bearing members2 inorder to hold the filed ,matter out of agement with said; bearing members.

he supports, or containers, shown in Fig.

uresB to 9are constructed of more rigid material than that shown in Fi-g:ure 1 andas a con- Sequence theeendsthereof maybe left open and the front walls thereof-may be scored longitudinally as at 7 above the stitching to facilitate access to the interior,- also, ifdesiroble,.the portion of the said front wall below the stitching may be entirely cut away, as Shown in Figures3and4, to leave .a single ply of material to which to secure the bearing members 2, or,as shown in 'Figure 7, thecontainer may be slit longitudinally along the fold-8 for a distance corresponding to the length of the .index'space, and the portion 9 of the front wallwbetween theends of said slit turned inwardly to provide a support for the file contents.

' The portion of the container reserved for the accommodation of the bearing members 2 may have index charactersinscribedithereon, as shown in Figure 1,. corresponding to the index characters on the filing cabinet-for theuattachment of the bearing members in alignment with the desired index character, or characters, .or, each container may, in

advance, by the use of machinerywor otherwise,:he designated a particular index character, or-'characters,..as shown in the drawings, preferablyinscribed in the top corner thereof, and a'bearing member, or members, secured to the container inbproper position in relation to the corresponding index character, or characters, .on'the filing cabinet, the space reserved on said container for the hearing members being left blank.

If desirable the index space on the containers may be scored, as shown at 10 in Figure 1, for the reception of the fingers ll of the bearing members 2, this practice being preferable Where the index characters are inscribed on said containers.

In F igure-Q the bearing member is shown as extending laterally from the container as would be necessary Where mechanism constructed to project the filed matter in a lateral direction is employed.

It willhave .been apparent that this method of indexing and filing may be employed in many lines of business and that it is therefore impossible to describe herein its various uses but the following description of its adaptation to a collection follow-up ,system will make its Working clearly understood.

Assuming that there are accounts receivable due on-the 5th and 6th of the current month, cards or memo slips containing the re quired data, such as the name of the customer, amount of account, etc. are placed in ,the container bearing the index character corresponding tothedue date of the account and said container. is placed in the filing cabinet, after which allsimilarly, indexed containers maybe brought into prominence-atv any time through the operation of the selector mechanism (which is notshown in the drawings .as the construction of same does not constitute a feature of the .present invention).

vShould it for any reason. be necessary to set over, say, until the 8th of. the. month, the payment of the account .due on the: 5th, or any part thereof, it is simply necessary toremove the card, or slip, from its present containerand .place it ina container bearing the index character corresponding to the deferred date, which in theassumed case is the 8th.

It is ofcourse understood.that'reference charactersother thannumbers may be employed, such. as letters,- names, names of :days or months, also that the number of classifications under which .a single. card, or other matter may be indexed is limited only. by the classifications providedztor on they index carried by the, filing cabinet.

The front walls of the containers may, if desired, be constructed of transparentmaterial to permit of the contents, being viewed without the necessity of removal.

The present invention provides a convenient meansv for filing cards and other papers of a natureadaptable for insertion in a typewriter and which cou-ld .not be preserved according to the indexing systems now .being employed.

WVhat I claim is '1. In apparatus, the combination of agi' older stitched longitudinally intermediate of its height to provide. an 1 index margin along the bottom thereof and .a filing compartment thereabove, and a bearing member adjust-able vElongitu'dinally. of said index margin.

2. In filing apparatus, the combination of a folder having its Walls secured together intermediate of the height thereof to provide a closed relatively thin margin along the bottom thereof, and a bearing member adapted for adjustment longitudinally of said margm.

3. In filing apparatus, the combination of a folder having its Walls secured together to provide a closed relatively thin margin along one edge thereof, and a bearing member adapted for adjustment longitudinally of said edge.

Signed at Toronto, Ont, this 16th day of July, 1926. a

L. CLAYTON RIDGE. 

